PHEASANT. 



369 



most impenetrable coverts, or such as are covered with long- grass, 

 which the female generally makes choice of to deposit her eggs in, 

 scraping- together a few surrounding dry vegetables for a nest, and 

 laying- from eight to twelve eggs. The male is frequently heard to 

 crow in spring, clapping his wings at the same time. 



In confinement the female sometimes assumes the plumage of the 

 male ; at this time she becomes barren, and is equally buffeted by both 

 sexes. This strange change of plumage does not seem to be the effect 

 of age ; for we have been assured by our noble friend, Lord Caernarvon, 

 who has had several in that state, that it takes place at three or four 

 years old. In the one that nobleman favoured us with, the colours 

 were not so brig-ht as generally found in the other sex. Whether bar- 

 renness is the occasion of this change, or whether the want of commerce 

 with the other sex, by reason of the male plumage, is the occasion of 

 her not breeding, is yet to be discovered by dissection ; for if in the 

 breeding season there should appear any eggs in the ovarium, and those 

 distended, there can be no doubt of the latter cause. In a state of 

 nature this circumstance probably does not take place. 



This bird does not appear to pair ; but the female carefully hides her 

 nest from the male ; and we are informed where they are in plenty, 

 and food provided for them, the two sexes do not in general feed to- 

 gether. Domestication generally produces variety, and we find this 

 bird mixed more or less with white ; sometimes wholly so. 



In the Naturalist's Calendar, published in 1795, from the papers of 

 the late Rev. Gilbert White of Selborne, a plate and description is 

 given of a singular bird killed in Hampshire, which he considered as 

 an hybrid between the Pheasant and domestic fowl. The head, neck, 

 breast, and belly glossy black ; the back, wing-feathers, and tail pale 

 russet, streaked somewhat like the upper parts of a partridge ; the tail 

 was even at the end, and not very long ; legs bare of feathers and desti- 

 tute of a spur ; round the eye the skin was bare and scarlet ; weight 

 three pounds three ounces and a half. By the drawing there also ap- 

 pears to be some white on the shoulder, and some dark feathers in the 

 middle of the tail beneath. 



It is generally believed the Pheasant and domestic fowl will breed 

 together ; if so, possibly the colour of the spurious breed would depend 

 much on that of the common fowl. Some authors have given a de- 

 scription of such, but not at all like Mr. White's bird. One in the 

 Leverian Museum is almost throughout of a dingy reddish-brown 

 colour, with very few markings. 



A variety, if not a distinct species, called the Ring Pheasant, is not 



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